Bose launched the SoundDock more than a year and a half ago, and while a review at that time would have been most helpful for readers had the iPodObserver been in existence, I would argue it's more fitting to review the speaker system today, in the context of the more appropriate competition that has emerged since then.

Bose SoundDock

At the time of its release, Bose was the only company offering a speaker system for the iPod that cost as much as an iPod itself. Compared against speakers that retailed for a third as much, critics seemed generally pleased by its performance. If you ask me, performance and value should be evaluated on a more absolute scale, and a $300 speaker system should deliver the quality and features to match its price tag.

Unfortunately for Bose, the SoundDock is looking even less appealing in 2006 than it did in 2004. The outward appearance remains reasonably attractive and inoffensive, assuming you can find a place to tuck away the power brick, but the build quality continues to come up short. The front lip that accommodates your iPod still feels a bit loose and flimsy. Not only do the volume up/down buttons not offer any tactile feedback, when pressed the entire front lip pushes down slightly. That's not exactly the reassurance you want when you're looking for build quality.

For what it's worth, however, you're not likely to be touching the SoundDock itself once your iPod is settled in. There's no power button nor even an LED to indicate power status, and forget about connecting anything else to the unit as the SoundDock lacks an auxiliary input. The remote control is mildly mannered in similar fashion, offering controls for volume up/down, track forward/back, play/pause, and off. The remote's range and sensitivity are first-rate, mind you.

Enough about the SoundDock's features, or lack thereof, what really counts is how it sounds. Perhaps the best way to put that is as follows: if the SoundDock cost half of what it does, I would say it sounds good. But given what it will actually cost you, sorely disappointing is a better characterization. The SoundDock isn't a Wave Radio, and as any owner of a Bose Lifestyle 30 or higher system will tell you, the company's tiniest JewelCube speakers only offer passing performance thanks to the far heftier subwoofer that accompanies the setup.

Apple iPod Hi-Fi & Bose SoundDock

The SoundDock lacks a woofer of any sort, however, and that becomes apparent when listening to virtually any genre of music (Bose keeps the actual specifications of the SoundDock secret, as it does with all of its products). Highs and mids are quite well reproduced, in fact opera sounds especially impressive until percussion kicks in from the orchestra, but almost anything else lacks the depth and richness that only a more dedicated woofer can deliver. To its credit, Bose has done a good job of engineering the SoundDock to sound reasonably balanced, so that even without a woofer the sound never seems excessively treble-heavy.

The Bottom Line

Once the purported starlet of iPod speaker systems, it's difficult to find a reason to even consider the Bose SoundDock today. Apple's iPod Hi-Fi ($350, 4 stars) offers better sound quality and packs many more features than the SoundDock for only $50 more, while Auidoengine's A5 ($350, 5 stars) toasts both of them when it comes to aural quality, assuming your needs can accommodate a two-piece setup.

Disclaimer: The author is very much an audio enthusiast but does not pretend to be an audiohphile. He does not spend $1,000-$20,000 for a single pair of speaker cables nor does he recommend doing so. If you do, however, you may want to seek the opinion of someone whose needs and expectations are more in tune with your own.